Health officials urge whooping cough booster shot

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.—Health officials are urging parents to have their children re-immunized against whooping cough after an ongoing outbreak at an Albuquerque high school sickened 30 people.

State officials will be at La Cueva High School Wednesday evening to meet with parents and provide boosters shots that prevent infection.

Whooping cough is also called pertussis and is highly contagious. It typically isn't life-threatening for teens and healthy adults, but it can kill infants and people with weak immune systems.

New Mexico infectious disease epidemiologist David Selvage says students can bring the disease home and infect young children, expectant mothers and infants.

The Albuquerque Journal reports ( http://bit.ly/1aDWFrQ) letters have been sent to La Cueva parents about the outbreak and Albuquerque Public Schools nurses are using nasal swabs to quickly diagnose cases.